Sports

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SPORTS 11/9/25 10:20pm

Elon University men’s soccer advances to CAA Championship off offensive barrage

By Miles Hayford

After two straight years of heartbreak in the Coastal Athletic Association semifinals, the streak was over. This year, the emotion will come from the Elon University men’s soccer team playing in the CAA Championship instead of falling just short. Elon’s 6-4 win over Campbell University in the semifinals Nov. 9 was a chaos-filled and high-scoring affair. Elon head coach Marc Reeves said he was happy with how the offense played but called the game chaotic. 

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SPORTS 11/8/25 7:30pm

Football loses fourth straight game, quarterback leaves with injury

By Benjamin Berfield

In their first game out of the bye week, the Elon University football team couldn’t snap their losing streak as they lost 34-20 to Rhode Island University. The defeat marks Elon’s fourth straight loss after starting the season 4-2. It is the second straight season in which they failed to finish with a winning record. Rhode Island scored on its first four possessions of the game and remained in control for the rest of the game. They outgained Elon 442-225 in total yards while Rhode Island redshirt junior quarterback Devin Farrell threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns. It was Rhode Island’s fourth straight win to move to 8-2 on the year. 

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SPORTS 11/7/25 7:59pm

Elon men’s club rugby earns chance to host playoffs at home

By Riley Hale

As Elon University’s men's club rugby team end their regular season, they have an exciting opportunity awaiting this postseason; the opportunity to host the playoff tournament at home. Luke Wood is a senior at Elon who first started playing rugby in 2022. As the president of men’s club rugby he said he thinks being able to have the playoffs at home will provide more publicity for Elon. “Last spring we held a 16-team tournament and it was a big success,” Wood said. “Being able to hold more important sports events at home will actually make us more popular as a university and put us on the map.”

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SPORTS 11/7/25 8:03am

Elon women’s basketball loses to UNC Chapel Hill, star sophomore leaves with injury

By Benjamin Berfield

A tall task for the Elon University women’s basketball team against No. 11 ranked University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill became even more challenging early in the second quarter. Four minutes into the second quarter, sophomore guard Jayda Angel awkwardly fell down while coming to a jump stop on a drive to the basket. The reigning Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year and First Team All CAA preseason nominee, lay on the court for an extended period of time before having to be carried off. At the time, Elon was down 22-18 and had appeared to gain some offensive momentum with two early 3-pointers. 

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SPORTS 11/5/25 11:26pm

Transfer additions guide Elon men’s basketball to dominant opening victory

By Benjamin Berfield

The newest transfer additions for the Elon University men’s basketball team wasted no time making an impact in their debuts for the Phoenix. Sophomore guard Bryson Cokley, graduate student guard Ja’Juan Carr and junior guard Randall Pettus II, Elon won its season opener 99-51 against Belmont Abbey College. Head coach Billy Taylor said he views the transfer portal as a great opportunity to grant players the chance to impact the game in different ways. “The hard part about the transfer portal is you lose really good kids that you recruit but it also presents opportunities for new young people,” Taylor said. 

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SPORTS 11/2/25 12:28pm

Elon men’s soccer wraps up regular season in 1-0 thriller

By Benjamin Berfield

The final regular season game for the Elon University men’s soccer team ended in a slugfest against William & Mary. For the first 70 minutes, it appeared as if Elon would notch a tie for the seventh time this year. But with the No. 1 spot in the CAA South Division on the line, a goal by junior forward Jordin Wilson helped grind out a 1-0 win to advance to 7-2-6. Elon will rest for a week before hosting the winner between University of North Carolina Wilmington and Campbell University on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.

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SPORTS 10/26/25 9:31pm

Collaborative efforts earn Elon women’s soccer a place in conference quarterfinals

By Elissa Leka

Elon University women’s soccer ended their match with a 0-0 draw against the College of Charleston, concluding the regular season undefeated at home.  As a result, the Phoenix now qualify for the Coastal Athletic Association conference, which prompted postgame enthusiasm and celebration. Head coach Neil Payne said he is excited for the team to head to conference finals. “I’m so excited for the group,” Payne said. “We felt like we’ve been playing well for a long time. Not just a win, but we’re undefeated at home, which speaks volumes for how we’ve played this season.” 

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SPORTS 10/25/25 11:27pm

Elon volleyball swept in close three sets

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University volleyball team lost its fourth straight home game with a 3-0 loss against North Carolina A&T University. Elon fought in most of its sets, losing by two points in each of the first two sets before falling by five in the third. They now fall to 5-16 on the year. Graduate student outside hitter Simrin Carlsen said N.C. A&T was very efficient on offense and managed to utilize all of their players’ strengths. “We were rotating super quickly, so there weren’t a lot of times where we were able to get runs that lasted more than a couple of points,” Carlsen said.

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SPORTS 10/14/25 7:33am

Elon University Poll, Knight Commission of Intercollegiate Athletics finds NCAA worried over House settlement

By Benjamin Berfield

A recent poll published by the Elon University Poll and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics showed concerns from National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I presidents, administrators and athletic directors about the state of college sports following the House vs NCAA settlement this past July. College athletes could previously get endorsed by other brands, but the House ruling now allows schools to contribute to NIL. The settlement gave colleges the right to directly pay their athletes. In the aftermath of the ruling most of the respondents surveyed think this could result in a currently flawed Division I sports system getting worse over time.

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SPORTS 10/13/25 8:39am

Elon University men’s club rugby coach reflects on longtime position

By Benjamin Berfield

Ryan Bays has coached club rugby at Elon since 2003. While all teams are expected to have a coach, Bays’ position is unique compared to other club sports, which are coached by students serving as club presidents. Bays said the rugby program has meant a lot to him and he wants to give back to it as much as possible. “I have a lot of pride in the program,” Bays said. “I felt like I got a lot out of it when I was here. Being able to anchor a university club is a big deal.”

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SPORTS 10/12/25 9:18pm

Intense Elon University men’s soccer match ends in 1-0 win

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team concluded Senior Night with a dramatic 1-0 victory against the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Head coach Marc Reeves said it felt extra good to win for the seniors after a tough stretch that included opponents like No. 10 the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Duke University and Clemson University. “Sometimes you can have lapses where you don’t win games, but this is an incredibly tight conference game against a really good opponent on a night where you just have to dig in for your seniors,” Reeves said. 

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SPORTS 10/11/25 7:13pm

Elon University football falls to No. 18 Villanova in thrilling Homecoming game

By Miles Hayford

The Elon University football team fell just short of an upset over No. 18 Villanova in a back-and-forth 29-21 loss on Oct. 11. Head coach Tony Trisciani credited self-inflicted mistakes for the loss. “We can't win football games with deep balls getting over our head, with kickoff returns being returned for touchdowns and for sacks that put us out of manageable down and distances,” Trisciani said. “Those were the things that really impacted this football game.” Elon plays next at William & Mary Oct. 18.

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SPORTS 10/5/25 4:39pm

Elon University redshirt freshman quarterback grows in first year as starting player

By Benjamin Berfield

As the Elon University football team prepared for the season, redshirt freshman quarterback Landen Clark spent the summer competing for the starting quarterback position. The previous season, Clark had played only four games where he was occasionally used as a runner. Elon had also signed Iowa quarterback Marco Lainez through the transfer portal in December. Even with the inexperience and competition, Clark said he refused to let any outside noise get to him over the offseason.  “It was just to focus on myself,” Clark said. “Don’t let anything get in my way.”

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SPORTS 10/3/25 11:54am

Elon women’s soccer battle to draw in intense conference match

By Lennox Franks

Elon University women’s soccer fought to a hard earned 1–1 draw in their latest conference game against the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which featured aggressive play and impressive goalkeeping on both sides. Elon head coach Neil Payne emphasized the importance of ball control as a primary strategy to neutralize Wilmington's aggressive defensive style. “It was important that we try to control the ball and try to take the physicality out of it,” Payne said.

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SPORTS 10/1/25 8:26pm

Elon University men’s soccer reaches draw after a hard fought physical battle

By Blair Mitchell

The Elon University men’s soccer team put up a gritty performance against the No. 10 ranked team in the country, the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, on Sept. 30 resulting in a 0-0 tie to chalk up their current record at 5-1-4 this season. “I was pleased with our performance, just the result was not what we wanted,” head coach Marc Reeves said. “But that, again, that's college soccer, the parody, it's really close, all teams are prepared and ready to play, and you have to compete and kind of force a way to win.”

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SPORTS 9/28/25 4:54pm

Tennis player reflects on experiences from playing in Mexico to U.S. Division I sports

By Riley Hale

Junior Mariana Reding has the word “fly” written inside her shoe, which is a nod to the advice her dad would give back home during her matches. She said playing tennis often reminds her of her cultural heritage and her family. “My dad used to tell me, ‘Fly Mar fly!’ in my matches,” Reding said. She said she loves when people watch her matches because it makes her feel more supported and involved with Mexican culture. In Mexico, she said people are always very supportive, asking her family, “What is her score, and where can I watch it?” 

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SPORTS 9/28/25 4:54pm

Jugadora de tenis reflexiona sobre sus experiencias de jugar en México a jugar División I de los Estados Unidos

 

Mariana Reding, estudiante de tercer año, lleva la palabra "fly" escrita en el interior de su zapato, un guiño a los consejos que su padre le daba en casa durante sus partidos. Dijo que jugar al tenis a menudo le recuerda su herencia cultural y a su familia. "Mi papá solía decirme: '¡Fly Mar fly!' en mis partidos", dijo Reding. Dijo que le encanta que la gente vea sus partidos porque la hace sentir más apoyada e involucrada con la cultura mexicana. En México, comentó que la gente siempre la apoya mucho y le pregunta a su familia: "¿Cuál es su puntuación y dónde puedo verla?".

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SPORTS 9/27/25 9:32pm

Elon University football finds ground game, triumphs over Hampton on Family Weekend

By Miles Hayford

An explosive rushing attack propelled the Elon University football team over Hampton University 41-20 on Family Weekend. Elon was coming off a 26-16 loss against East Tennessee State University last week and looked to win their Coastal Athletic Association opener. Sophomore running back TJ Thomas Jr. got involved early, breaking a few tackles en route to a 22-yard catch from redshirt freshman Landen Clark, who scrambled out of a sack. Thomas then ran in a 23-yard touchdown on the following play for his first rushing attempt of the day.

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SPORTS 9/26/25 11:57pm

Elon men’s soccer battles against Campbell to scoreless draw in physical, gritty match

By Shaan Gandhi

On a night where space was scarce and chances even rarer, Elon University and Campbell University men’s soccer fought to a 0-0 draw in a tense affair at Rudd Field under the lights Sept. 26. Despite the lack of goals, Elon’s defensive solidity remained a bright spot. The Phoenix has conceded just three goals through its first nine matches. “I don’t think we gave up much tonight,” head coach Marc Reeves said. “That’s where you want to be — hard to beat.” 

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SPORTS 9/24/25 10:29pm

Elon volleyball sweeps sets to win 3rd straight match

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University volleyball team capped off their three-game homestand with its third straight victory over North Carolina Central University. Like the previous two matchups, Elon won in three straight sets, which now marks nine consecutive sets the team has won. Offensively, the Phoenix were efficient tallying 39 kills in all three sets, 12 more than NC Central. “Every hitter that’s on our floor has the ability to score at any moment,” head coach Matt Troy said. “It’s finding where we can get the one-on-one, or where we can take advantage with our speed when we’re in transition play.”

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